Parents have lots of concerns when it comes to lifestyle newborn sessions at home. What to wear, the state of their home, and more than anything, how do you handle newborn photos with siblings?
Some of the comments I’ve heard from parents leading up to a newborn session at home are:
- “She hates pictures, so we’ll be happy if she even engages at all.”
- “He is pretty wild – good luck getting him to sit still!”
- “She really wants nothing to do with the baby”
Photographing a newborn with siblings can be tricky, and parents are fair to be concerned! But with just a few tips, a calm demeanor, and lots of patience, you can steer the energy into a place where you’re able to make meaningful photos no matter what happens.
Tips and tricks for newborn photos with siblings
Here are a few examples of some common sibling behavior and how I’ve handled those situations in the past.
1. The “anything but this” toddler
Sometimes siblings just don’t want to be involved. They want the attention and they want to drive the ship. They key here is making them feel like they have a real say. Go with their weird ideas. If they only want to sit on the kitchen floor, shoot there for at least a short time. Put your camera down and earn their trust. These tactics will help rewrite the narrative that to have control, they have to blow this thing up. Most importantly, reassure them that they are doing great and lower the pressure of the shoot.
Tactically, a change of scenery outside is always a game-changer when toddlers are spiraling. Changing up the pace and the environment helps immediately shift the tone and energy from whatever was happening before.
2. The Jumping Bean
I never ask kids to sit still or “smile big.” Frankly, that’s the number one way to piss them off.
In fact, I’ve found that allowing their energy to unfold often leads to family engagement much more authentically.
This little lady was a jumping bean, so I alternated between letting her do silly things, and countering it with prompts like “go tell your brother where you’re going to jump next!”
For the 2 minutes we got her to catch her breath, I laid brother beside her and gave her challenges like “can you kiss his ear!?” and “can you kiss his forehead soooo soft he doesn’t even feel it!?”
Simply by lowering my voice to a whisper, I often can get even the rowdiest kids to lean in for some gentler moments.
Bonus challenge for this session – it all took place in one room. The family was moving to a new state that week and their entire house was upended aside from this spot.
3. What baby?
When there are several kids close together in age, a newborn session with siblings gets even more interesting. Siblings might be interested in the baby for a brief second, but really, it’s all a competition for parental attention.
The good news is that I don’t need them to be interested in the baby to make photos that have warmth and tenderness.
I just need parents who are interested in playing with and loving on their kids. Sometimes they just need reassured that I’m not bothered and I’m still in control. When the parents get flustered or frustrated, it tends to shift the mood. Constantly reassure them that it’s okay.
Sometimes, ignoring the older sibling for a while and letting them go off and do their thing for a bit – get a snack, have some regrouping time, etc. – is just the ticket. In the meantime, get breakdowns of baby by himself or with just one parent.
Eventually, you’ll be able to try again for full family images or sibling shots from a better place.
4. The baby tank (and other baby-related challenges)
This little newborn girl was nursing for about 75% of the session.
We made beautiful photos of that interaction, but I was also able to make fun portraits of the other siblings while the newborn and mama were busy!
The older girls got out Guess Who to play on the bed in the middle of the session because baby was just nursing non-stop, so we rolled with it and I feel like those are some of the most honest, beautiful shots from what this season was like for them.
In-between feedings, the baby was often crying– likely because we needed her to stop eating for at least a few seconds. But we were still able to get lots of really special, intimate, and fun images that speak to the heart of this family’s dynamic.
Want to learn more about making lifestyle family and newborn images with heart? More free resources to support your growth here.
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